Vapor alternating-current rectifier and similar apparatus.



B. SCHAEFER.

VAPOR ALTERNATING CURRENT RECTIFIER AND SIMILAR APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 2. 1912. RENEWED JUNE I5, 1914.

1,223,423. Patented Apr. 24, 1917.

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Inventor: by Atty B. SCHAEFER. VAPOR ALTERNATING CURRENT RECTIFIER AND SIMILAR APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED MAR- 2. I912. RENEWED JUIIE I5, 1914- I 1,223,423, Patented Apr. 24,1917.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BELA SCHAEFER, or rnANKEoET-oN-THE-MAIN-BooKENHEm, GERMAN'SI, assrenon To THE FIRM or I-IARTMANN & BRAUN A. e., or EaANKEonT-oN-THE-MAIN, GER- MANY.

VAPOR ALTERNATING-CUBRENT Specification of Letters Patent.

. Patented Apr. 24, 1917.

Application filed March 2 1912, Serial No. 681,192. Renewed June 15, 1914. Serial No. 845,296.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BELA SCHAEFER, a

citizen of the German Empire, and residing fiers of the general type set forth in my oopending application filed March 1,1912, and bearing Serial Number 680,815.

It-has been found in practice that in the operation of high capacity rectifiers of this class, much importance attaches to the manner in which the electrodes are distributed with relation to the space within the container. In apparatus of this class having glass bulbs, the attempt has been made to obviate the difficulties arising from ineffective distribution of the electrodes by curving the side branches of the bulbs and placing the electrodes therein. However, the arrangement of the anodes in a metal container is difficult to effect in this manner as these metal containers preferably have a cylindrical body through the top of which the anodes are introduced into the vacuum chamber. Y

The principal object of the present invention is to improve the distribution of the anodes in such metal containers. Heretofore, inorder to protect the anodes from the injurious action of the flame arising from the cathode, screens or deflectors have been employed but when these screens are placed between the single anode or grouped anodes in the axis of the cylinder and the cathode the arc tends to waver from side to side 0 the screen and owing to this unequal distribution, the wall of the vessel will be unequally heated and to an undesirable extent. Furthermore, when the anodes are arranged in a closed group, efliciency of the apparatus is greatly diminished by the mutual heating thereof.

In accomplishing the objects of the invention, the anodes are not grouped together in the axis of the vessel but are arranged in the shape of a circle or polygon in proximity to the cylindrical wall of the vessel so that the space immediately about the axis is left free. By this arrangement, a relatively large number of anodes may be utilized and by positioning the cathode in the axis of the vessel, the arc paths will be of equal length and consequently of substantially equal resistance. Furthermore, the space between the anodes can be utilized in various manners, as for instance, by inserting cooling coils, thus increasing the condensation of the mercury vapor and consequently the efliciency of the apparatus.

In carrying out this invention, it will be found that the arrangement diminishes the mutual heating and short circuiting of the anodes while at the same time the paths of the arcs naturally unite to form a common are adjacent the cathode and thus the dis-- this invention.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic cross-section thereof. Fig. 3 is a vertical section through one form of the apparatus showing a screen used in connection therewith.

Fig. 4 is a modification of the apparatus shown in Fig. .3 showing a different form of screen.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section showing a modified form of apparatus using a single cooling element.

Fig. 6 is a plan of Fig. 5. y i

Fig. 7 is a modification employing a plural'ity of cooling elements.

Fig. 8 is a plan of the modification shown in Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a plan showing a modified distribution of the anodes. t

Fig. 10 is a diagrammaticview showing the application of the invention to a sixphase rectifier.

Fig. 11 shows a modified form having the anodes led in through the bottom.

In the various forms herein shown, the

the apparatus shown in anodes are indicated at a a,,,, and

. the cathode.

shown in Fig. 3, the cathode has dipping therein a screen n having an opening adjacent the bottom of the screen and this bottom is in the form of a constricted neck while the body of the screen surrounds the anodes between the wall w' and said anodes. The anodes in this form are arranged close to the wall win circular formation'being all equally spaced from the axis; and the same arrangement of anodes and cathode is true of the form shown in Fig. 4 but in this form the screen n is shortened and the constricted neck omitted, the bottom of the screen being funnel-shaped and having a centrally-disposed opening. Immediately below tl1is Qpen i.I1g, there is a cup 0 of insulating material which rests on the floor, or bottom of the container and is provided with openings in its sidewall for the passage of the mercury therethrough. In the arrangement shown in Fig. 5, the anodes, here terminatin in the projecting ends d, are arrange in two concentric circles about a cooling tube r'- which is further protected by a screen 0, concentric with a screen 0 which is spaced at its lower end above the bottom t as is the screen n of Fig. 4. Both the screens 0 and 0, have centrally-disposed openings so that the vapor from the cathode k may rise and strike the cooling element while at the same time the arcs from the anodes unite and find their way to The form shown in Fig. 7 is similar to the form shown in Fig. 5 but there is provided a plurality of cooling elements r 1",, and 1', surrounded as dis- .closed by the concentric screens 0 and 0 In the form shown in Fig. 9, the casing is divided by partitions p so that a series of groups of anodes having their projecting ends d extending up therethrough is formed, these groups being indicated by the Roman numerals from I to VI inclusive, and in Fig. 10 is shown the manner of connecting the six phases indi cated by these groups.

It is sometimes desirable to introduce the anodes through the bottom of the casing andto that end a form is shown in Fig. 11 wherein each anode has its leading-in wire extending through an insulating member ?3 provided on its upper end with a hood h wherein the anode is located and these hoods all face the axis of the casin -g and are equi-distant therefrom so t at the screens above described may either be constructed of a non-insulating material, as metal, or of a suitable insulating material.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. In a rectifier of the class described, a closed container of metal, a mercury cathode in the bottom of said container, a plurality of anodes arranged circularly in said container and adjacent its side walls, a screen interposed between said anodes and the side wall and embracing said anodes, the lower tapered end of said screen having a centrally disposed opening, said opening being directed toward the cathode.

2. In a rectifier of the class described, a closed container, a mercury cathode in the bottom thereof, a plurality of anodes arranged around said container adjacent the wall thereof, and an insulating screen surrounding saidanodes and provided with a constricted-neck dipping into said cathode.

3. In a rectifier of the class described, a closed container, a series of anodes positioned adjacent the side wall of said container, a cathode, a cooling member, and screen means between said anodes and the cathode and cooling member.

4. In a rectifier of the class described, a closed container, a series of anodes spaced around the side wall of saidcontainer, a screen surrounding said anodes and interposed between the wall and the anodes, said screen having a funnel-shapedbottom, a cathode immediately belowthe mouth of said funneL -a cooling member having an open end and depending from the top of said container, and a screen surrounding said cooling member and open at the bottom, said screen being interposed between the anodes and the cooling member and both of said BELA SCHAEFER.

Witnesses:

JEAN GRUND, CARL GBUND. 

